Foreign Ministry says Aeroflot fiasco is a commercial dispute

• Russian national carrier flies in empty Airbus to pick up 275 stranded passengers

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that the Aeroflot fiasco is a commercial dispute whilst it is under normal consultation through normal diplomatic channels.

The statement endeavoured to make Sri Lanka’s stand clear over the Aeroflot passenger aircraft flight SU-289 which is currently at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

On 2 June, the Commercial High Court of the Western Province issued an Enjoining Order on the Aeroflot flight, restraining it from taking off from Bandaranaike International Airport. The case relates to a commercial dispute between the Plaintiff, Celestial Aviation Trading 10 Limited an Irish Company against the first Defendant the Public Joint Stock Company ‘Aeroflot’ and the second Defendant Airport and Aviation Services of Sri Lanka (AASL), Katunayake Acting Head of Air Navigation N.C. Abeywardene.  

The matter is still pending final determination of the court. This matter is also under consultation  through normal diplomatic channels.

In a related development, Aeroflot operated an empty Airbus A330-300 to Colombo to take back 275 Russians stranded in Colombo following the detention of the earlier flight on Thursday.